In this blog from ukactive Strategic Partner, Zoom Media, Ferne Langford, the organisation’s Partnership Group Director – explains how operators can maximise their digital marketing strategy and turn it into a consistent revenue stream.
The leisure sector has been through it all in recent years, from the pandemic to sky high energy costs, every penny matters. And yet, operators across the UK could be leaving tens of thousands of pounds of revenue on the table.
A lot of operators I speak to believe they’ve considered every revenue stream available to them as a facility, but they’re often overlooking their digital media strategy, unaware that it can be used to create a robust revenue stream while enhancing the member experience.
When looking at maximising your digital media strategy there are a few things to consider finding out if you’re making the most of what you’ve got:
Focus on your busy areas
Firstly, stand in high footfall areas and look around; how many messages can you see vying for your attention? A common mistake operators make is to clutter their spaces with too many messages. If you have a lot of print advertising and member notices next to screens, your key campaigns will get lost.
Make decisions based on the use of the space
Next, do you know the difference between your high footfall and high dwell time areas? It sounds obvious but you’d be surprised at how many operators get this wrong. D6 screens are perfect for high footfall areas because the content is short and constantly changing, but for high dwell areas, such as the gym floor, the programming should be weighted towards longer-form content and show a lower proportion of advertisements. Getting your screen placement correct is key to increasing the number of brands keen to run campaigns in your facilities.
Everyone in the industry knows the gravity of the gym floor is changing. When we first put screens on gym floors, members spent the majority of their time in the cardio zone, today it’s a very different story. But when was the last time you updated your gym floor content model to reflect the changes in member habits? I’d encourage operators to challenge the typical model by installing fewer, larger screens in key zones – these are far more appealing to brands who will pay a premium to get in front of your members.
Think of the cost savings
It’s not just about bringing money in; a review of your digital media strategy can also save you money. For example, do you really need print? Think about your annual print cost and consider if it’s really delivering. A poster can show one advertisement, whereas a screen in the same position can communicate several messages to your members during one visit. There may still be a place for print, but when you start to evaluate you may realise you don’t need quite as much.
Everything I’ve highlighted is great for those that have control over their screens, but I’m well aware this is not the case for all operators. It’s all well and good getting a free service but it’s not so good when it comes at the expense of getting a say on what’s shown to your members. If you value control over your messaging and brand content, then you might want to reevaluate the service you take.
To learn more about Zoom Media click here.
Zoom Media is a member of the ukactive Strategic Partner Group – find out more here.
Disclaimer: Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ukactive.
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